Participants in the Spirit North program are shown in a handout photo. The program, run by former Canadian Olympian Beckie Scott in Alberta and B.C., is for Indigenous youth to use sports and play to improve social and economic outcomes. It’s expanding to Saskatchewan and Manitoba in 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Spirit North)

EDMONTON – A charity that runs cross-country ski programs for Indigenous youth is expanding across Western Canada.

Spirit North, which was founded in 2009, started in four First Nation communities in northern Alberta to improve the health and well being of Indigenous youth through outdoor sport and play.

A skier passes trees on a ski run at Lake Louise ski resort in Lake Louise, Alta., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. A judge is to sentence a world-renowned Alberta ski resort today for cutting down endangered trees five years ago. The Lake Louise resort in Banff National Park pleaded guilty last December to taking down a stand of trees, including some whitebark pine, along a ski run in 2013. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

CALGARY – A judge had harsh words Friday for a world-renowned Alberta ski resort as she fined it $2.1 million for recklessly cutting down endangered trees five years ago.

Lake Louise Ski Resort pleaded guilty last December to taking down a stand of trees, including 38 endangered whitebark pine, along a ski run in 2013.

A Manitoba teen has died after a skiing accident at Holiday Mountain last week.

The 13-year-old girl from Prairie Spirit School Division was on a field trip at La Riviere when she was badly hurt after losing control on an advanced run and crashed into an orange plastic fence that separates the run from an adjacent T-bar line.

The girl’s family made the decision to take her off life support on Tuesday.

A duo flies down the toboggan hill at Assiniboine Park. (CHRISD.CA FILE)

There are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you busy over the holidays, the City of Winnipeg reminded citizens on Monday.

Toboggan hills are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with winter slides operating from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Regional skating rinks — 43 of them in total — are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Construction on the Peguis Pavilion skating rink in Kildonan Park, and the Duck Pond skating rink in St. Vital Park is still underway.

Cross-country skiing trailers are located in Kidonan Park, Harbour View, St. Vital Park, La Barriere Park and Living Prairie Museum.